Grateful for sleep

I need a lot of sleep, perhaps more than the average person. I try for 9 hours a night. Obnoxious, right? But if I don't get enough sleep, I end up with several awful things happening. First, my psoriatic arthritis flares. The link there isn't directly sleep, but stress from lack of sleep. So more sleep = less arthritis pain. Getting enough sleep also keeps me healthy. It's almost a guarantee that if I am getting less than 8 hours sleep for longer than 4-5 days I will get sick. The lack of sleep directly taxes my already fragile immunity, and sickness can take hold.

So, I'm incredibly grateful that I have a lifestyle that affords me the opportunity to get enough sleep. Some judge my need for sleep obnoxious, see it as a weakness. But when I let that judgment get to me and forfeit sleep, bad things happen - so I've stopped caring what others think. I've learned to listen to my body and what it needs, and more times than not, I need sleep!